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'(N'Model.) l2 sheets-sheet 1f W. E. DEPP.

SPAD-ING MAGHINE.

, Patented Deo. 22, 18.85. ull-:mnunnumm 12. d "b,

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Patented Deo. 22

NITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. DEPP, OF BROOKVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF HALF TO S.CHAMBERS, OF SAME PLAGE.

ONE-

SPADING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332.703. dated December22, 1885. Application tiled August 3,1885. Serial No. 173.457. (Nomodel.)

.To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. DEPP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brookville, in the county of Jefferson and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spading-Machines of which the following is aspecilication, reference being hadto the accompan ying drawings.

Myinvention has relation to improvements 1o in spading-machines; and thenovelty consists in the construction, combination, arrangement, andadaptation of the various parts for service,substantially as hereinafterfully set forth, and particularly point-ed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a spading-machine which shallexcavate the earth at predetermined distances for planting potatoes, orto prepare the ground for seedsowing without the use of a barrow; toregu- 2o late the depth ofthe excavation or cut; to automatically cleanthe digging or spading implements from the earth or dirt, and thusprevent them from clogging up and becoming inoperative, and to combinesimplicity, strength,

and durability of construction with efliciency of operation andcheapness of manufacture.

In the drawings hereto annexed, and which form a part ofthisspecification, Figure l is a perspective view of a spading-machine con-Structed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2is a longitudinal section on the line xm of Fig 1. Fig. 3 is adetail View of the means for adjusting the supporting framebearing-wheels. Fig. 4 is a detailed detached view of one oftheeccentric or cam wheels for operating the digging implement or spade.Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the spading or digging implements.Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views.

Like letters of reference indicate like or corresponding parts in allthe figures of the drawings, referring to which A designates thesupporting-frame, comprising parallel side and cross bars, a ct', re-

spectively, suitably connected at their ends in any preferable mannerand adapted to form "'aframe, which is preferably rectangular in l form.

A designates the draft-pole, suitably con- 'nected to the frame A at itsfront end.

BB designate the supporting-frame A bearing-wheels, mounted upon shortaxles b b, which arejournaled at one side ot' the frame in a bracket orstandard, D, depending from the frame A near the middle ot' the sidebars 55I thereof, said axles b b being connected to or forming a partofthe bent axle C. which comprises two parallel side bars, OO, arrangedunder and in alignment with the side bars of the supporting-frame A, anda` horizontal 6o cross-bar, O", connecting the front ends of the bars Otogether, and serving to support the bent axle O by being journaled inboxes c c, suitably secured to the front cross-bar of the lower face ofthe frame A, the rear ends ot' 65 the parallel arms or bars OO beingconnected to the short axles b b. The axle C may be made from a singlerod, bent to form the parallel bars C C, the cross-bar O2, andthestubaxles bb, and'pivored at its front crossbar, C2, 7o in the frame A,and at its rear end in the bracket D, for simultaneously raising andlowering the bearingwvheels B B. The bracket or bar D is provided with aseries of teeth at one edge of its upper end, with which meshes atoothed segment, E, pivoted at e to the side bar of thesupporting-frame, and having an operating -handle, E', extendingupwardly therefrom above the frame A and Within easy reach of thedriver, seated in the seat F, sup- 8o ported upon a standard, F, bent asshown, and connected at its lower front end to one of the side bars ofthe main frame, said seat being arranged at one side of the main frameout of alignment therewith and over the bearingwheel, in juxtapositionto the opelatinghandle E. The handle E is held in any desired positionor adjustment by means of a bolt, G, sliding between perforated lugs g gof the handle,andkept normallyin engagement with 9o one of a series ofnotches, h, formed in a bow or segment, H, by means of a spring, G',arranged between the lugs g g, and coiled over the bolt and bearing atits lower end against a pin passing therethrough. The bolt is retractedfrom engagement with the notches h of the segment or rack by means of afingen lever, G2, preferably right-angled in form and pivoted upon theupperend of the handle-bar E, and connected to the bolt G at the upperroc end thereof by means of a link, Gaf The lower arms of the segment Hare fitted in mortises formed in one of the side bars of the frame,

and are held therein by screws or bolts.

I designates the axle for supporting the bearing-wheels J J, arranged onyeach side of the impleinent-carrying wheel K, said. axle beingjournaledat its ends in the side bars of the main frame or in suitable boxes orbearings provided therefor, and rigidly held in position therein toenable the bearing and spading wheel to rotate freely thereon. The axleis screw-threaded, as at t', leaving. the ends free and plane, on whichthe hubs j of the bearing-Wheels fit, and are held in place by means ofnuts j', tting against the faceof said wheels and working on thescrew-threaded portion, the bearing and implement wheels being connectedtogether at their outer edges by screw-threadedbolts I,arranged at theperiphery of the said wheels and passing through the same, said bolts orrods l being held in position by means of nuts i i?, arranged in pairsand adapted to bear on opposite faces of the several wheels, t-he nutsi2 having a washer, i3, arranged between them and the outer face of theimplement-carrying wheel K. The wheels J are preferably made skeleton inform for lightness and strength, are arranged at each end of the axle,and when the machine is in operation they bear upon the surface of theground and prevent lateral strain upon the axle and iniplement-carryingwheel K, only one of which is shown in the accompanying drawings forthevsake of clearness; but it will be understood that two or more ofsuch implement-wheels K may be employed, as circumstances may require.The Wheel K is of the same diameter as the bearing-wheels, and held inposition between the bearing-wheels J J by means of the crossbolts I andnuts i2. At the periphery of the wheel Kit is provided with two lateraliianges,

k Ic, arranged concentric with and a short distance from each other,being separated by an intervening concentric space or groove, k, theiianges being arranged on oiie of the side faces of the wheel and onebelow the other. This wheel is without a hub, and lying within the sameis a cam or eccentric wheel, L, having a screw-threaded hub, l, fittedon the axle I and lield thereon. The eccentric wheel L is made skeletoninform and flat or disk-shaped, except at diametricallyopposite pointsat its periphery, where it is cut away, as at Z Z', and provided with anoutwardly-bent and forwardly-projecting cani-tongue, Z2, the inner edgeof which, where itjoins the body of the cam-wheel, being beveled, as atZ3, to enable the cross-heads of the spading or digging implements toslide or move freely thereon with a minimum of friction.

M designates the spading or digging implements arranged around thecircumference of the carrying-wheel K and exteriorly thereto at one sidethereof, said implements comprising a blade, m, rigidly secured upon ashank,

m', having a washer, m2, arranged between the d lower end ofthe bladeand the exterior face or periphery'of the wheel K, to take up thefriction and wear thereon. The shanks m of the spading-implements passthrough the flanges k le of the wheel K, and are free to rotate therein,said shanks being provided at their lower ends, beneath the innerconcentric groove of the carrying-wheeLwith two cross-heads, N O,

the latter of which is arranged below and at right angles to the former.rlhe cross-head N normally lies transversely across the' lower innerface ofthe lower flange or rim of the wheel, While the other cross-head,O, being arranged at right angles tothe cross-head N,

normally lies within and parallel with the said flange or rib k, the twocross-heads being connected by an intervening stud, O', and formedintegral or cast in one piece with each other. The upper cross-head, N,fits between the under or inner face ofthe lower flange, lr, and theperiphery of the cam-wheel L, and when one of the arms of saidcross-head comes in Contact with the forwardly and upwardly projectingcam-ledge Z2 of said wheel itl turns or revolves the spading-implementshank and lower cross-head, so that the implement-blade will be parallelwith the face of the wheel K and the lower cross-head transversely-across the same, bringing one of the arms of said lower cross-head, O,in contact with the bev- A.

eled ledge or portion Z:s of said cam'- wheel,

and upon further-rotation of the carrying- IDO wheel the arm inengagement Withfthe bev-.-

eled ledge Z3 will complete the rotation of the implement-blade, so asto cause the same to lie transversely across the face or peripheryl ofthe carrying-wheel in their normal position, and rotate or turn theLipper cross-head,

so as to cause its arms to lie transversely' across the inner surface ofthe flange k, and

bring the lower arms of the lower cross-head to lie against and parallelwith one of the faces of said cam-wheel until the device or imple-- mentcomes to the next cam ledge or projection, when the operation abovedescribed-is repeated.

There may be any number of spading im rio plements arranged around thewheel, and the cam-wheel may have two or more cam tongues orprojections.

The blades of the implements may be square and arranged'in an inclinedposition,as shown,

or they may be rounded at their cutting-edges,

or fork shaped. The cross heads may also have beveled faces where theycome in contact with the cam-tongue. f

It will be observed that the implement-carrying Wheel is supported byand rotated with the bearingwheels J and independently of the axle, andwhen the cross-heads of the implei'nent come in contact with thecam-wheel tongues they are given a complete turn or rotation, whicheifectively clears them from dirt or earth.

rIhe bearing-wheels of the main frame can be adjusted up or down, toallow the spades Iso of the carrying-wheel to go deeper into the earth,by merely withdrawing the bolt G and adjusting the handle-lever forward,the lower serrated segment working in the toothed bracket D, to adjustthe wheels and axle to the required degree. The bracket is held in placeby means of a guide, D', which bears against the face of said bar D, andis secured to the frame A.

The device can be readily converted into a seed-dropper by mounting ahopper on the frame and connecting the slides of said hopper withmeans-as, for instance, the crossheads-for being automatically operatedby the cam-wheel.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from theforegoing description, taken in connection with the drawings.

Modifications in details of construction and form and proportion ofparts can be made without departing from the principle or sacriicing theadvantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the main frame, a supporting-axle, bearing-wheelsmounted on said axle and rotating independently thereof, animplementcarrying wheel connected to and rotating with thebearing-wheels, a camwheel arranged within the implement-carrying wheeland rigidly secured on the axle, and a series of spading implementsrotatively mounted in the carrying-wheel, and adapted to be rotated bythe rigid cam-wheel when the carrying-wheel is revolved, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination of the main frame, an axle mounted therein, acam-wheel rigidly secured to said axle, bearing-wheels mounted on theaxle and rotating independently thereot', and an implement-carryingwheel secured upon rods connected with the bearing-wheels and arrangedimmediately over the calnwh eel, substantially as described.

3. The combination ot' the main frame, the axle, a cam-wheel rigidlysecured on said axle, arotating wheel arranged over said cam-wheel, anda series of digging implements mounted in the rotating wheel, and havingcross-heads at their lower ends adapted to be rotated by contact withthe cam-wheel, substantially as described.

4. VThe combination of the main frame, an axle journaled therein, a camwheel or disk rigidly secured on the axle, a rotating wheel arrangedover said cam-wheel, and a series of digging implements rotatablymounted in said revolving wheel and arranged around the peripherythereof, substantiallyfasdescribed.

5. 4The combination of the main frame, an axle supported therein, acam-wheel rigidly secured on the axle, a revolving wheel arranged overthe ca1n-wheel, and a series of spading implements rotatably mounted insaid revolving wheel, and having ri ght-angled crossheads at their lowerends adapted to be operated upon by the cam-wheel, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination, with the axle and a revolving wheel, of a cam-wheeland a series of spading implements mounted in t-he revolving wheel andcarrying two cross-heads at their lower ends arranged at right angles toeach other, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the axle, a revolving wheel, and a cam-wh eel,of a series of spading implements mounted in said revolving wheel andcomprising a blade, a shank, and two cross-heads, one below the other,connected together and arranged at right angles to each other,substantially as described.

8. The combination ofthe axle, a earn-wheel rigidly mounted thereon, arevolving wheel arranged over said cam-wheel, and a series of spadingimplements mounted in said revolving wheel and having two cross-heads,one of which normally lies transversely across the face of thecam-wheel, while the other crosshead lies parallel with its face,substantially as described.

9. The combination of the axle, bearingwheels mounted thereon, arevolving wheel mounted on cross-bolts secured in the bearingwheels, acam-wheel arranged within the revolving wheel, and a series of spadingimplements rotatably mounted in said revolving wheel and adapted to beoperated on by the cam-wheel, substantially as described.

l0. The combination of the frame, a screwthreaded axle mounted therein,two bearing-wheels having a screw-threaded nut and plain hubs mounted onsaid axle and free to rotate thereon, a cam-wheel having a screwthreadedhub rigidly secured on the axle, and an implement-bearing wheel arrangedover the cam-wheel and mounted upon bars or rods secured in thebearing-wheels and adapted to rotate therewith, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

` WILLIAM E. DEPP. Witnesses:

A. C. VHITE, H. H. BRosIUs.

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